


The Coffee Box

by neville



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Cute, Fluff, M/M, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 20:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16436357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neville/pseuds/neville
Summary: Neville goes for a hot chocolate after his biology test.





	The Coffee Box

**Author's Note:**

> wow guess who's had writer's block for... way too long... trying to break out of it with simpler stuff!! hope you enjoy!!

Neville could cry. In fact, he could always cry: his general university mood is being on the verge of tears during assessment season, and he almost runs out of his Biology test, hurriedly zipping up his puffer jacket and wrapping his scarf around him. He doesn’t even want to  _ think _ about all the questions he skipped, or the words he still needs a dictionary for, or about how much better everyone else will have done. He knows he’s dumb and didn’t revise enough. He doesn’t need reminded.

He checks his Casio: it’s just about five, so still an hour before the Coffee Box shuts. It only takes him five minutes to get there from his lecture theatre, and it’s easy to spot: the box is a repurposed police box, painted over with plants and rainbows in bright acrylic-style paints, and against the dark of the winter evenings, Lee has installed a SAD lamp next to his laptop, from which he’s playing Young Fathers and dancing in the tiny expanse of space he has. Neville’s noticed that there isn’t so much of a desire for coffee closer to dinner time.

He wanders up, pretending as if he’s scrutinising his choices when really he already knows what he wants. Lee knows, too. Lee can always tell what kind of drink Neville is in the mood for. 

He rests his elbows against the counter, and beams. “Hey, sweet cheeks. Hot chocolate?”

“Yeah,” Neville says. “Please.” 

“Test not go too well?” Lee asks, turning round and firing up the coffee machine. 

“Not really.”

“I’m sure it went better than you think.” Lee smiles sympathetically, reaching out to ruffle Neville’s hair, curling round his ears. “I’ll close up early. We can go back to yours and watch Netflix. Your flatmates are going out tonight, right?” 

Neville, whose skin is already gently red with the cold, flushes brighter. “Uh-huh.” He watches Lee work: Neville has been here plenty times, ordered coffees and hot chocolates and all sorts, and yet he’s never really figured out how the machine works, or what Lee is doing. He does it so quickly, elegantly; he stirs chocolate chips into the foamed milk, and adds more foamed milk and more chocolate, and tops it all off with cream and marshmallows and a flourish of sprinkles. Neville’s hand is halfway to his pocket when Lee shakes his head.

“You get it free for a kiss,” he says playfully. 

“You know I’d kiss you anyway.”

“I know.” Lee grins, leaning down a little as Neville stands on his tiptoes to reach, knotting his fingers around Lee’s neck as they kiss. He can still remember the first time - after a trip to the cinema, a second date, Lee’s mouth tasting overwhelmingly of the strawberry milk he’d downed - and he’d wondered briefly in that moment if the novelty of being kissed would ever wear off.

But so far, he’s still in love.

He nibbles at the marshmallows as Lee closes up, watching his breath gust out. It’s getting cold, still: November, almost Christmas, Neville’s favourite time of year. He’s been thinking about what to get Lee for at least a month already, and smiles as Lee bundles up next to him, ready to set off.

“I’ve got tomato soup at home,” says Neville as they walk, feeling the crisp air against his cheeks. 

“God,” Lee says, laughing; the reverence in his tone makes Neville’s heart flutter. “That sounds great. I love you.” 


End file.
